Households, Too, Harbor Toxic Waste

October 13, 1989|By Jim Sulski.

General cleaning. Use vinegar and water for light cleaning and a baking soda and water paste for heavier cleaning. Use rubbing alcohol instead of spot removers. Clean ovens with a spatula or utensil. Heat will kill any germs. Use pump sprays instead of aerosol cans.

Wood stripping. Use a heat gun or hand sand instead of using a chemical stripper.

Drains. Instead of using a chemical drain cleaner, try a plumber`s snake or a plunger. Another substitute is to mix one-half cup of warm white vinegar with a cup of baking soda and pour it down the drain, then flush with boiling water 15 minutes later.

Lawns and gardens. Mow with a push mower and eliminate the exhaust. Then leave the clippings on your lawn as a natural fertilizer to replace chemical fertilizers. Fertilize gardens with compost made in a compost heap.

Rodents. Use a cat or a mousetrap instead of chemical killers.

For more information

Posters on household hazardous waste found in homes, garages and workshops can be obtained free of charge by writing the Hazardous Waste Research and Information Center, 1808 Woodfield Dr., Savoy, Ill. 61874. A brochure on how to read a chemical product label is also available.

Copies of an article on indoor air pollution by Wiley Buck from the Center for Neighborhood Technology`s the Neighborhood Works newsletter can also be obtained for free by calling 278-4800.

A household hazardous waste information brochure and energy conservation material are available from the Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources by calling 800-252-8955.